Thanks to all who came out to our liquidation sale on Saturday. We were overwhelmed by your support & generosity.

We sold quite a few items, and made a big dent in our debt. But what was most satisfying is that the bulk of what we sold is going to other makerspaces, kids’ programs & makers who will take those little pieces of think|haus forward to continue to pursue what we have always been about: tinkering, learning, creativity, the satisfaction that comes from making something with your own hands, and the empowerment that comes from understanding how things work.

So long and thanks for all the fish

So sad that it should come to this

We have come to the unfortunate decision that think|haus must close. We have been operating at a loss for over a year, and the amount of debt we have accumulated is not sustainable. Our membership numbers are well below what we need to break even, not to mention addressing the debt. The directors are no longer willing to incur the personal liability for the accumulating debt. Our landlord has been patient & understanding, but they too have financial obligations.

We tried over the summer to increase our membership, but those efforts yielded only marginal results. While there were many people who had ideas on expanding membership, there were not enough people who were willing & able to do the work necessary to create a viable space.

think|haus was Hamilton’s first hackerspace. A lot of great people have been affiliated with the space over the years, and many of them have gone on to do very interesting things. Several have set up their own workshops to pursue their passions. We’ve seen things like 3D printing go from an obscure, difficult DIY process to something available to the public at the library. Hamilton has hosted 2 terrific Mini Maker Faires, and has a number of new technology startups. I am proud of the part think|haus played in helping to establish the maker movement in Hamilton. Most of all, though, I am very grateful for the opportunity think|haus has given me to meet smart, engaging people, many of whom I now count as close friends.

In the coming weeks, we can discuss whether think|haus can continue to exist as a virtual community, hosting occasional meetups, etc. But for now, we must deal close our physical space.

We will be holding a “garage sale” on October 8. Watch this page for further details.

think|haus is offering a summer membership special – $50 buys you a membership from now till the end of August. Join our community, meet like minded people, get access to our tools, and learn new things in our classes & workshops.

We’d also like to thank our 3D printing filament supplier MG Chemicals for funding the production of our new brochure. Check out their line of products for 3D printing, electronics, & printed circuit board making.

TL;DR Do you want to race autonomous model sailboats against other hackerspaces?

WHAT:

An autonomous model sailboat race. In September, think|haus would sponsor a race on Hamilton Harbour. Each hackerspace would enter a boat. If your space is extremely enthusiastic, maybe enter more than one. The rules would be simple: boats no more than 2m in length, must be powered by the wind only. 3 buoys would be placed in the Harbour setting out a triangular course. Teams would be provided the GPS co-ordinates of the 3 buoys. Boats must make it around the course without any remote control – telemetry & video links would be permitted, but no control links. Attacking other boats would not be permitted (though that may be an idea for another side competition – robot wars, boat edition).

think|haus would provide a chase boat to go out & retrieve any model sailboat that got into trouble. We’d also host a BBQ party afterwards.

WHY:

Well, I like sailing, and it’s my idea, so there’s that. But also, the project has roles for the electronics types, the software types, and the mechanical types who would have to all work together on a common fun project. It would likely involve laser cutting, 3D printing, woodworking, sewing, microcontroller programming, and maybe vacuum forming, fiberglass work, etc. so there would be lots of opportunity to get everyone involved regardless of skill level. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want – stick a dowel with sail made from a plastic bag in a big hunk of foam, or meticulously model a rigid wing carbon fiber hydrofoiling catamaran – it depends on what your team wants to do.

The main reason why, though, is to have fun working on a project together over the summer, learn new things, and have a good day outdoors followed by food & beverage.

We had a great time at Hamilton Mini Maker Faire on the weekend. There were so many cool projects to see, and we met lots of interesting people. We look forward to seeing many of them at our weekly Open Haus, Tuesdays from 7-10pm at our space, 25 Dundurn St. N., back door & up the stairs. See you there!

As part of the think|haus reboot, we’d like to get back to holding regular classes on a variety of topics of interest to the maker community. So, what do you want to learn? Arduino? Raspberry Pi? 3D Printing? Internet of Things? Home Automation? Make your own Media Centre? How to land a rocket on an autonomous barge?

Let us know in the comments below what kinds of classes you’d like to see. We’ll gauge interest and set up classes with the most interest. We’d like to get going as soon as possible, so let your ideas fly!